Monday, July 6, 2009

"If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected."- Sun Tzu, the Art of War

Sarah Palin defied conventional wisdom with her resignation, declaring "we are attacking in a different direction." Those who think she has sunk her political career by resigning before her term ends underestimate her appeal. The brilliance of this gutsy move eludes those who think small, or short-term.

Sarah Palin outflanked her opponents in one fell swoop. Her move disarmed the attackers who piled on frivolous lawsuits with intent to hamstring her. Knowing she could have easily won re-election, she chose instead to take a course that leaves her opposition 100% ineffective.

This is classic Sun Tzu, classic guerrilla warfare:

“Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate.”

There is a reason Sarah Palin occupies #1 slot on the Democrat Hate Machine’s Enemies List: they fear her. Sarah Palin represents the single viable threat the Republicans possess against the Democrats' solid grip on power.

Once Palin determined that she would not run for re-election, she turned her back on the marsh she was mired in, and changed direction. She is now moving to higher ground. This was not the decision of a timid, or small-minded person, regardless of what her detractors wish us to think.

Sarah Palin can now continue to build her image. As a private citizen, Code Pink, MoveOn.org and ACORN are helpless to do anything about her. She can run for Senate, and then run for the Presidency after that.

This is political Jiu-Jitsu, brilliant on so many levels.

A final word from the master of the Art of War:

“To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence.”